No power going to 1 outlet in living room

Asked Feb 10, 2008, 01:14 AM
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13 Answers

I have a outlet in my house that doesn't work. It seems to be the only one. I need to get this fixed because I am selling the house and everything needs to be in working condition. I tried testing the plug in to see if there was any power going to it and there doesn't seem to be. I tried hitting the reset button on the plug in next to it and that didn't work. I tried replacing the plug in and that didn't work either. Checked the circuit breaker and everything is on. Any thoughts? This outlet only has 1 black wire, 1 white wire and 1 ground (the others I checked had 2 of each color and 1 ground). Anyone have any idea on how to fix this? Help me please. Thanks in advance.

The 2 sets of wires are the wires coming to it, and then a set of wires going to the next outlet. So this sounds like the last outlet in a row of outlets. If this one has no power coming to it ( have you checked the actual wires?) you go to the next outlet that has power that is part of that circuit and check to see if it is bad and if there is power on both sides of the outlet, wires coming in and wires going out.

What room is this outlet in? Did you mean to say, reset button in the plug in the next room?
How are the wires connected to the outlet, are they connected under screws or sticking in the back?

The bad outlet is in the breakfast nook. The outlet with the reset button is in the family room which is about 4 feet away from the bad outlet in the breakfast nook. The wires are connected on the sides of the outlet (2 screws on each side of the outlet). All connections seem to be good on all outlets next to the bad one.

The 2 sets of wires are the wires comming to it, and then a set of wires going to the next outlet. So this sounds like the last outlet in a row of outlets. if this one has no power comming to it ( have you checked the actual wires?) you go to the next outlet that has power that is part of that circuit and check to see if it is bad and if there is power on both sides of the outlet, wires comming in and wires going out.

Yes I checked the outlets closest to the bad one and they all seem to have power going to them. I just plugged in the power checking device (don't know the name of it) and the light lit up showing their was electricity going to that particular outlet on all outlets in the family room and kitchen. The one outlet that doesn't work is in the breakfast nook which is right between the kitchen and family room. And this happens to be the only one in the breakfast nook. Any other ideas? Thanks. Do you think I need to hire a electrician to come out? How much do you think something like this would cost?

Throw the circuit tester you have away. Pick up an analog or digital VOM meter, it does not have to be an expensive.

Set the meter for 150 or 200 VAC, with the black probe in the longer slot and the red probe in the shorter slot. Does the meter register voltage? No, check the walls and see if there is a light switch on the wall nearby. If it is in the off position, then switch it to on, check the meter, is it showing 120 VAC?

Do you have any background experience in troubleshooting circuit failures?

throw the circuit tester you have away. Pick up an analog or digital VOM meter, it does not have to be an expensive.

Set the meter for 150 or 200 VAC, with the black probe in the longer slot and the red probe in the shorter slot. Does the meter register voltage? No, check the walls and see if there is a light switch on the wall nearby. If it is in the off position, then switch it to on, check the meter, is it showing 120 VAC?

Do you have any background experience in troubleshooting circuit failures?

I cannot get any reading. Not 150, 200, or even 120. I tried switching every switch in the room and room next to it on the on position and still nothing. No, unfortunately I have no background experience in troubleshooting circuit failures. Any other clues?

REDmist- Since you have no experience working with electrical you need to stop before you get your hair permanently curled. If I were you I would call a licensed electrican and let him find your trouble. Look in your local newspaper where they advertise for buidling contractors etc,etc or call an electrical supply or the power company and they can tell you someone to contact.;;; Good Luck and stay safe;; F.B.E.

If you checked the outlet by sticking the probes in the outlet, check it again by touching the probes to the screws or wires. If your meter shows any voltage when you touch the wires or screws you have a defective outlet.

If you do not get a reading, the fault is at another outlet.

If you know which circuit breaker that outlet is on, turn it off. Go to the other outlets that do not work with the breaker off, pull them out and begin checking for faulty wiring. You will probably find that they are wired by sticking the wires in the little holes in the back. This type of wiring is prone to failure after a number of years. If you find them wired this way, remove then and put them under the screws. You will have to stick something in the little slot next to them to release the wire. You can just clip them off as close to the outlet as you can and strip some more insulation to put the wires under screws. When putting wires under screws bend them the way that the screw tightens. That's so that the wire won't come out from under the screw as you tighten it.

If you don't know and can't determine which breaker this outlet is on, you will have to just turn a breaker off, check all the outlets on that circuit, then move on to the next breaker.

If you plug in an extension cord in known good outlet, the end of that cord should have a hot, neutral, and a ground for reference, take the end of that cord next to bad outlets, then place 1 probe on Extension cord hot, and receptacle neutral. If you have no voltage, neutral is open, Then Plug probe into extension cord Neutral, and other probe in receptacle
Hot, if you don't have power, you lost a hot. If you lost both It is Likely a tripped GFI,
However, Recepticles currently disconnected will give same reading.
You need to find the HOT first, Could use extension cord with one probe in neutral, or ground, and use other probe to find a Hot in each of the recepticles.

hkstroud and stratmando - you both gave some good advise. She ( redmist ) needs to know that the wire collars for the hot, nutural,and ground. redmist here is the collor code ::{ black- hot wire < { white- is the nutural ( for 110 ) { bare copper wire - is the ground wire ) ( your black will attach to the collored screw & the white wire will attach to the silver collered screws, now on the gfci they hook up different< which depends just what the gfci breaker receptical is susposed to do > ( red mist - have you checked in your main electrical panel to see if there is a gfci type of circuit breaker inside the panel for that circuit >?? Good luck & god bless to you all > if i have helped rate my answer below ::: f.b.e.

HKSTROUD AND STRATMANDO - You both gave some good advise. she ( REDMIST ) needs to know that the wire collars for the hot, nutural,and ground. REDMIST here is the collor code ::{ BLACK- HOT WIRE < { WHITE- IS THE NUTURAL ( FOR 110 ) { BARE COPPER WIRE - IS THE GROUND WIRE ) ( YOUR BLACK WILL ATTACH TO THE COLLORED SCREW & THE WHITE WIRE WILL ATTACH TO THE SILVER COLLERED SCREWS, NOW ON THE GFCI THEY HOOK UP DIFFERENT< WHICH DEPENDS JUST WHAT THE GFCI BREAKER RECEPTICAL IS SUSPOSED TO DO > ( RED MIST - HAVE YOU CHECKED IN YOUR MAIN ELECTRICAL PANEL TO SEE IF THERE IS A GFCI TYPE OF CIRCUIT BREAKER INSIDE THE PANEL FOR THAT CIRCUIT > ????? GOOD LUCK & GOD BLESS TO YOU ALL > IF I HAVE HELPED RATE MY ANSWER BELOW ::: F.B.E.

Thanks for all the responses. What is a GFI and a GFCI?? I can't get a reading on the hot or neutral. What do you mean by tripping the GFI? I checked my circuit breaker in the garage and everything is on the ON position.

They are recepticles usually in Bathrooms, Kitchens, and outside that have a Test and Reset button, and will trip If The load is unbalanced(If you touched the hot, then the Hot would be carrying more current than the Neutral, and trip.
Just walk through house and look for different type receptacle, Good Luck

REdmist - If you have a gfci breaker in the main electrical panel ,it will be a 110, and it will lock a lot different from the others in the panel, also let me ask you this , when you looked in the panel at the circuit breakers did you just look and not actually try them to see if they were really on or not? a breaker can be triped and look like its on, you will be looking for a 110 breaker ,probley a 15 or20 amp breaker single, take and look on the inside of panel door and see if all breakers are marked as to what they are for ( WHERE IT GOES IN THE HOUSE ) ( TRY all 110 breakers by throwing the breaker switch to the left,thenthat will reset the breaker , throw the switch back to the right to" on" position , that should put power back on that circuit in the house. NOTE - IF you have two rows of breakers in the panel box ,( The left side is the one I described above on the right side of panel the other row of breakers you will have to throw breakers to far left to off position,then all way back to right to turn on. RED MIST - I hope this helps out, ps -make sure every thing is all hooked back up in the house Before TURNING POWER BACK ON ON THAT CIRCUIT>:: STAU SAFE AND Don't GO AND GET A FREE HAIR CURLLING> GOOD LUCK & GOD BLESS :::: F.B.E.

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